Most contemporary urbanists share a strong affection for nature. However, to get more nature into the city often proves to be a difficult task. In this exhibition, Expodium explores initiatives by artists, designers and architects that focus on urban nature and the role creative thought can have in it.The Expodium Orbits ProgramIn 2010 a series of four exhibitions will be organized in the Expoidum exhibition space, named Orbits. To make our research trajectory more tangible these exhibitions will highlight some topics relating to this year's main theme 'Malleability Revisited: The Need For New Strategies'. Aim of the exhibition is to provide our artists with input.

Malleability Revisited: The Need For New Strategies

Expodium injects publicly relevant engagement in the art practice of recently graduated artists. In doing so, Expodium, platform for young art, goes beyond where Dutch art training programmes stop. In our opinion a contemporary artist should be capable to relate, critically, to his or her environment.

Expodium takes on current tendencies and situations in the urban development. We observe a movement in this development and use it to formulate concepts for our projects.In 2010 Expodium will continue its urban exploration by taking on the other side of post-industrial growth.

As our point of departure we seek to approach the apparently negative development of 'shrinkage' from a positive angle, and investigate what results around a shrinkage situation can be employed on behalf of future urban development.

Where growth is mostly thought to equal progress, shrinkage is associated with a decline in municipal finances, economising on community facilities and programmes, and falling tax revenues. Thus, for the time being, building is considered the way to go.

Expodium proposes to go in search of the opportunities and new prospects that shrinkage brings with it.The central question here is, what chances, possibilities and new strategies can be distilled from a shrinkage situation in order to shed new positive light on current city development?

With the developments in the area around the railway station in Utrecht as a starting point, we will examine the above question, and create a vision as well as suggestions for an alternative urban policy, capable of responding to future trends. Art and culture can play an important role in approaching this matter.

It is our belief that the input of autonomous thinking is of critical importance at the moment, and will be intensely valuable for the urban dweller's ability to adapt to the future.